MOTORING.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20411, 4 December 1931, Page 8

MOTORING.

"Roadster" invites articles and paragraphs of interest to motorists for this page. NOTES. The quarterly meeting of the South Island Motor Union is to be held at Blenheim on Friday next. On the following day delegates are to be entertained on the Sounds. , Mr 1 W. T. Hitchie lias been elected president .of, the South Canterbury Automobile Association. In a speech at Coventry, .Mr--W. E. Bullock, managing director of the Singer concern, suggested that there is every possibility of capturing in the future many overseas markets held at the present time by the United States. Mr Bullock related that a prominent American manufacturer had expressed the opinion that as Britain buys vast quantities of goods from all over the world, the inevitable exchange •of goods must mean that those countries uhieh at present buy cars from America would instead purchase them from Great Britain, America being, of course, practically self-supporting, and buying very little outside her own f-liores. Joy riding has reached such a stage at Cologne that a "Joy Riders' Club" has been formed, the members of which, it was discovered, stole motorcars systematically and used them for pleasure excursions. A highway 3500 miles in length connecting the Atlantic and Pacific seaboards is being planned in Canada. It will probably be the world's longest road. A learned professor predicts the speedy exhaustion of the old Russian oil fields. Recent discoveries amongst the remains -of the! Roman city of Verulam, adjoining- which St; Albans grew up hvter, seem to indicate that a one-way ti alfip system ' was in operation there some 1500 years ago. . Two men at Nenth Court who stated that they were on the dole were given seven days in which to pay fines of 20a tor driving their cars without licenses. According to a census taken recently among, the manufacturers and service departments of electrical accessories it was discovered that more than half the trouble with these units'is due to over-lubrication. Excess oil' gets "on to the commutator anc". other working .parts, and by setting up sparking creates much more heat than the parts ,are designed to, stand up to. Make it a rule to go strictly by the instruction book given with your car, and if this is not available inspect the generator, etc., occasionally for traces of overoilirig." If excess oil is indicated clean the-partis, arid for tire future cut down on their oil.supply. ■ A touch of oil on the foot accelerator connexions occasionally • makes for easier driving.

BY "ROADSTER."

WITH TENT AND MOTOR.

XMAS IN THE NORTH ISLAND A THREE WEEK HOLIDAY. PRINCIPAL PLACES OF INTEREST ! i (srBCIJLLLY warms' TOR THE PKESS.) [By Trip.] (All Eights Reserved.) IX. These articles, which will be published during the summer months, ivill. deal with tourin? and motor camping generally. They will give details essential for tho success of motor camping holidays, and full information about roads right through New Zealand. Where .further information iB desired, readers can obtain it by enclosing a stamped, and addressed onvelope> to "Trip" c/o The Press , ■ As a further service to readerß "Trip" is prepared to answer queries on any matters related to motor-camping, whether it be the selection of camping equipment or the planning of an itinerary. Such queries should bo addressed to "Trip," P.O. Box 1178, Wellington, and a stamped addressed envelope enclosed for reply. Places Worth Seeing. Rotorua.—There is little need to describe Rotorua and its surroundings. Naturally it is one of the principal sights for any South Island motorist touring in the north. There is a splendid camping ground'with accommodation for hundreds of cars, also private camping grounds in a number of places. Wairakci.—Thermal activity here is really greater than at Rotorua. Bo sure and see the blow-hole, preferably at night. No one who visits Rotorua should fail to go to Wairakci. Taupo.—Happy hunting ground of Wonderful camping, especially in places round the east side of tho lake. Tongariro.—There is a camping ground near the Chateau now. Lake Waikaremoana and Urewcra.— VtJry beautiful bush and lake scenery. Urewera road very steep 'and narrow. Only experienced drivers should go this way. ■ Waitomo Caves.—Well worth a visit. Camping grojun.d close to the hostel. Napier and Hastings. —Southern motorists will naturally want to visit these two towns. The evidences of the earthquake are rapidly disappearing in Hastings, but' will be visible in Napier for many years, to come. b Three Weeks "Up North." From enquiries received it is apparent that quite a number of South Island motorists* intend visiting the North" Island, during the present summer, and the idea in this articlo is to give them some concrete ideas as to places particularly . well worth visiting, and also informing. them as to tho camping facilities available. It is hardly worth while paying the cost of taking the car across the Strait; unless yon are going north for, at least thjree weeks, for while the. most diminutive cars can be carried from Lyttclton and-.back for : just over £4, the amount wilf be mors than trebled with some bigger cars, the freight being reckoned on the cubic measurement.

It is taken for granted, that anyone coming north will want to see Rotorua and the surrounding district, and both itineraries suggested in this article include Rotorua. No description could ever make people visualise the enormous damage done at Napier and Hastings by the earthquake last February, and any South Islander coming north should, certainly visit both these places, which are pnly a few miles apart. Napier was damaged to a much greater extent than Hastings, and the devastated area is an awe-inspiring sight. . Splendid Boads. It has often been said that the North Island has built roads with money borrowed from the south, but whether that is so or not, motorists will find excellent roads over the greater part of the island, and particularly on all main routes. Probably the best plan will be to give two itineraries covering many places, taking something less than three weeks, and then describe the type of country traversed. Itinerary No. 1 (going through the TJrewera, a road that should be taken only by experienced motorists. Unmetalled in: places)—lst day. Welling-ton-Hastings. 2nd- At Hastings and Napier. 3rd. To Wairoa and Lake Waikaremoana. 4th and sth. At the lake. 6th. To Rotorua through the TJrewera. 7th, Bth and 9th. At Rotorua. 10th. To Wairakci. 11th. At Wairakci. 12th. To Taupo, visiting Huka Falls en route. 'l3th. At Taupo. 14 th. To' Ton* gariro 15th. At Tongariro. 16th. To Wanganui via Raefcihi. 17th. To Hawe-ra find Dawson's Falls. 18th. At Dawson's Falls. • 19 th. Southwards towards Wellington, which can be reached in a day; if necessary. Itinerary No. 2—lst day. Wellington--Hastings. 2nd. At Hastings and Napier. 3rd. To Gisborno. 4th To Opotiki, through the Motu 7th .aiid Btli. At Rotorua. 9th. To Wairakci. 10th. At Wairakei. 11th. To Taupo. 12th. At Taupo. 13th; To Arapuni., 14th. To Waitomo Caves, loth. At Waitomtf Caves. 16th. To New Plymouth via Mount Messenger. 17th. At New Plymouth. 18th. To -Dawson's Falls. 39th. Southwards to Wellington. Plac.i Discussed Briefly. The first route takes in Lake Waikaremona and the TJrewera, where a -mountain' road winds through, gorges and over steep razorbacks to a height of over 3000 feet. Portion of this road 'is not metalled, and if enquiry at. Lake House shows that there has been rain recently the motorist will be well advised to return to Wairoa and ,then make up through Gisborne, where the road is metalled al' the way. The scenery through the Urewera, which is absolutely virgin forest, is equal to any in New Zealand, and the road in some respects "is similar to that through the Buller Gorge! There will be no trouble in. finding camping accomuio dation at the lake, or at Rotorua or Wairakei, even during holiday time, .13 there are large areas set aside for campers at each of these places. Rotorua is known principally for its' thermal attractions, but close handy there are a number of vorv charming lakes whieh offer delightful camping places. Lake Okataina, set in the bush some fow miles out of the/town, is one of the most perfect little lakes in New Zealand. A run to the top of Mount 1 Ngongotaha should also be taken by j the visitor, for a splendid panorama of \ the whole district is visible. It is an easy run from Rotorua, through the road up the mountain may be ; a little rough. The grade is quite easy. In "Trip's" opinion the hot bath at Wairakei is tfye best in New Zealand, the natural setting, amid tree ferns ,

being ideal. "Wairakei overshadows Kotorua in some ways as far as thermal activity is concerned, the . geysers being much more active and regular in playing. Tlie Alternative Routes. The second itinerary takes you up through Gisborne and across to Opotiki through the Motu Gorge, a wonderful bush-clad route through country which' is fringing the Urewera. The road is metalled all the way, and though winding is comparatively safe. There are a number of steep hills, but nothing to worry the average motorist. Tlio approach to Eotorua by this route is delightful, and you run through Hongi's famous track. . Taupo is really a place for fishermen, but you ca,n have good bathing, ami some great views of the mountains in fine weather. The run to Arapuni is by a good road which traverses many of the plantations of tho afforestation companies. Already the growth of tiiese trees is turning what was a very drab journey into quite a pleasant run. It really is worth while seeing Arapuni it loolcs far more spectacular now than it did when in action. This alternative route takes you to the Waitomo Caves, a feature of which is the .wonderful glowworm cavern The run from the caves to New Plymouth is by a very good road, and traverses some very fine scenery. There are several camping grounds at New Plymouth, and from here excursions can bo made to the northern side of Mount Egmont. The Dawson's Palls side is the more popular, tho road running up from Ilawera, south of New Plymouth. Both these itineraries have been planned with a few days in hand to give flexibility, but "Trip" would certainly advise any motorist not to attempt the journey with less time at hia disposal. It can be done, of course but not with comfort or pleasure.

PETROL ECONOMY.

NEW FUEL SAVING DEVICE. Information comes from Germany of a new fuel saving device, which is said to have been tested by experts and to have proved exceedingly satisfactory. It is now being introduced on the German market, and appears to be a very interesting little apparatus constructed on different lines from those hitherto employed, says the "Autocar." The whole device, consisting ossontially of . a cylinder and piston, is mounted at a convenient spot in the rod connecting the accelerator pedal with the carburettor throttle. The cylinder carries the valve piston, which is connected with the throttle end of the rod. The piston valve operates in a similar manner to the sliding valves of steam engines, serving to close or uncover two apertures in the cylinder, one of which is connected by a rubber tube with the carburettor intake; the other, by a similar tube, with the air space above tho floats and fuel level in tho carburettor, the- lid of which has to be perfectly airtight. , The piston valve is so set that when the accelerator pedal is depressed the aperture leading to the throttle is first closed before the throttle is fullyopened. The engine then draws in the mixture of fuel and spray and air in the normal way. v As soon as the car is . travelling at the speed the driver desires he allows the accelerator pedal to move back slightly, which results in jthe pißton moving to the right without altering the throttle setting, and thus uncovering the aperture, so that the two apertures communicate. The wider the throttle is opened," ilie higher the engine speed, and correspondingly higher will be the suction force in tho carburettor intake, which force is. communicated to the float chamber, where it retards the direct proportion to the engine speed the feeding of the fuel to the jets. TJiereby it is said to effect a saving in fuel consumption of anything up to 30 per cent, without reducing engine output. The reason for this is that, in order to ensure good acceleration, all carburettors are set in the first place to furnish a reasonably rich mixture. While this is needed for/starting and acceleration, it is often too rich for normal running at touring speed, which is one of the causes of carbon forming in the cylinders and of plug fouling. By means of the device in question, it is asserted, gas richness is reduced automatically in direct relation to the engine speed. The device can be fitted to any make of carburettor and engine, it being possible to regulate and adapt it readily by setting a small air valve whieh adjusts . tho suction force communicated to the float chamber.

CARE OF THE CAR

POINTS WORTH WATCHIN(J. • A noisy speedometer can be traced to the flexible shaft or cable -which has been kicked or pushed into a position where it haß too shaTp a bend. This' can be corrected by simply reaching behind the instrument board and moving the shaft into a more favourable position. When overhauling the car be sure and tighten/cylinder head bolts, floor boards, fender bolts,' running boards, splash apron, silencer, steering ,wheel| rear wheel • axle nuts, spring shackles and clips; .clean and tighten battery terminals. . When dust specks gather on the windscreen while driving turn on the windscreen wiper to ensure clear vision. Don't'use the wiper too much without water, as the glass will be injured. Cheek wheel bearings and king pin bushings when the front wheel begins to wobble. The lack of oil will cause these parts to wear, and - dirt kicked up by the wheels will become the destructive factor. The average motor horn_will sound 150,000 times before wearing out. Don't be impatient when the car is slow an starting on a .cold morning. Perhaps this is due to your failure to house the vehicle properly. Always exercise care when' approaching a cross-street. More accidents occur at street intersections than at any other points. A. "windscreen wiper should be tested from time to timo in order to have it. working properly when it begins to rain. Clean the glass of the windscreen before making the test, as dust dragged across it by the wiper may scratch the glass. Jlegardless of how dirty the top is, only a mild soap should be used clean the fabric. A mysterious rattle a boot the car can sometimes bo traced to loose bolts which hold the bumper connexions. Wlven the finish of the radiator' core !ias 'become streaked with mud, it c?.n be restored by polishing up with a solution of ordinary lampblack and turpentine. The mixture .-should consist of one pint of turpentino to'"two ounces of lampblack. An engine with its -cylinders loaded with carbon will keep running, for some time, even when the power is shut off. This condition is due to carbon becoming white hot, which keops firing the gas even when the ignition is turned off.

HEAVY OIL ENGINES.

USE IN BUSES. Passengers travelling on. the London General Omnibus service fronr Pinner tr. Golders Green have (writes the motoring correspondent of the, "Morning Post") started a novel competition. They set themselves to guess whether they are journeying in, on.e of the twelve new compression ignition-engined -omnibuses using heavy, oil as fuel or in an ordinary petrol-engined Vehicle. Even for one who has . travelled on most kinds of motor .vehicles, it; is difficult as a mere passenger to distinguish the one type from the other. Experts have failed. The L.G.O.C. experimental department, which is running' the uew com-, pression ignition engined motor-omni-buses on this route, is earning the thanks of heavy vehicle;, transport operators in all parts of Great Britain for its interesting experiments with the heavy oilfuel engines. While it is too early for the engineers to make any pronouncement on the performance of these popularly, but wrong-. Jy, described Diesel engined omnibuses, the L.G.O.C. feel that the data which Ihey require can be obtained only Inputting on a .fuller service. Consequently, orders have been placed with the Associated Equipment Company, Limited, for 38 additional compression ignition engines, so that the present dozen in service will be increased to 50, all using heavy oil in ' place of petrol as fuel. ' The Green Line cpaches also have had two of their vehicles fitted with heavy oil using engines, 4» order to obtain ,a comparison -with the petrol-engined coaches. I am informed that the engineers expect. that the 38 new hc.-yy oil omnibuses will be available for the road in fiboiit thice months. In the passengers on the servi.-e will-continue their guessing competitions. Acid should i cvct be added -to 'a. storage battery except to .replace that which has been spilt or has leaked out, and then only by an expert. Adding acid will s pep the battery up for a short while, but it will cause the plates to become bodly sulphated, and will shorten t'.ie life oi the battery considerably.

MOTOR-CYCLING.

PIONEER SPORTS CLUB. : FIXTURES. N . Dec. loth—Sporting Trial, motor-cycles "ahd light cirs. Jan. 20i'(l—Hill Climbs for light cars. NOTES. The hill climbs for light cars, which were to have been held to-morrow afternoon by the Pioneer Sports Club, have been postponed to January 23rd, as owing to the short notice given of the hill selected it was found that many prospective competitors had not their cars , ready. However, now that the hill for these competitions is known, and permission has been granted by the controlling authorities for. its use, there should be a big entry. N The sporting trial for motor-cycles and light cars .to be held by the Pioneer Sports Club on December 13th will be over the following course:—Club house, Armagh street, Park terrace, Carlton bridge, Harper avenue, KiccartoJi road, West Coast road to corner, 13 miles from the starting point.;' turn to the right to Courtney (28 miles), Springfield (40 miles), Porter's Pass ; (50 miles), to Craigieburn (68 miles), where a halt will be made for luncheon.. On the outward journey there will be for both cars and cyclfes a timed hill climb, a stop and re-start, and, in addition, for the cycles, an observed river crossing. The return journey will be made over the same course as outward, and will be ,simply straight-out motoring. The average Bpeed for both cars and cycles between Christchurch and Porter's Pass will be 284 m.p.h., and from there to Craigieburn trade members 22 m.p.h. and private owners IS m.p.h.' Competitors will be sent away at one minute intervals. Entries for both classes close at 9.30 p.m. next Wednesday. Mr T. R. McCleary, the captain of the Pioneer Sports Club, who sustained in juries while training on the Rangiorn course lßst • Saturday week, ncces-

sitating a surgical operation, is making's good recovery, and it is expected that, lie will shortly be, astride his machine, for. the next* competition. The success that attended the track mooting held at Bangiora. last Saturday • should encourage the Pioneer Sports Club to . continue its operations in this direction, and in this way provide track experience for the Canterbury- riders that will better fit them to meet the more . experienced northern' riders at the championship meeting ta be held towards the end of the season. In the past our riders have lacked the opportunity to gain this, and as a result have been unable to do themselves justice. There is ample material here for the making .of speedsters of the calibre of such riders .as Coleman, Morgan, Ranby, and other northern fliers, -if given the. necessary encouragement. Those who competed last. Saturday rode with great confidence. The riding of both Carpenter and Thomas was exceptionally good, while the whole of the others showed to advantage, the result being that the onlookers.were more than satisfied with their afternoon '8 entertainment. , The excitement and enthusiasm displayed by the spectators was quite a feature of; Saturday's meeting. •

BROADSIDING.

, MONICA PARK SPEEDWAY. ' The following competitors have entered for the various events to be held at the Monica Park, Speedway to-mor-row night: —Syd. Jaekson (England), Wally Hull (England), E. J. Brown; J. Carter, R; W. Dixon, W. A. Dumpleton. M. Ellen, Geo. farmer, J. Forbes, X. H. Gray, K. W. Hampton,' J. C. Hobson, I;. Homer, C. Kennedy, P. Lyders, P. Lunn, J. Ncsbit, J. 'P. Oakley, P. M. Parker, E. G. Pyke,' F. C. Biley, J. J, Kossiter, 'J. H. lioscoc,N. M. Stow,. D. Shaw,; A. J. Smith, C.R. Talbot, W. A. Weakley, F. A. Wheeler, and G.. 11. Wick?. A. large, attendance ' saw" a good nigh t's entertainment -at theSpeedwar on Saturday evening last, and indications are'that the new season will prove to be a thoroughly successful one. The teduced prices were appreciated by the

public, and th© alterations ried out to the track in*4f • to the riders. The opinio* «f «• lishmen, Syd. Jackson and is that the track is q»»te «* *7j;\ that they have so far nddea Unfortunately trouble iraa e*!*****. ed* by the Englishmen mounts. Jackson had the l»«3 ***. both of his machines to W"?** owing to his inability to correct type of fuel m <3* rive in time. ' A supply 1 to hand, so that no tathe* tPWI *"* rthis respect is antieipated night. A considerable «■» people at the Speedway op ■ wondered "why, in tko "s*. . Jackson did not use Jus tkwa ■■"■CS'Yj, As a matter of fact, the other ; accompanying him onite ia* Dominion is not suitable for ti«V* The match race Hull could not be held for that Hull had only one him, having left his second *"« hind in Wellington, in which hewasunable to a«*t h«*~ patriot by making hun » lw» « , Beg. Ban by, of resident of Christcbureb and that he is able to obtain * ( hopes to appear at Moniea Fa morrow week's meeting. toaak* Two new local ndera who are a first appearance __ at ttt ., ' wav to-morrow nignt aMt J. *o*"* and P. H. Pwker. Both at# ** !! pear in Christehurck <!«»•* «» season, has had * g°°j| jy lh* at Home. Last year he r«.« track record set t>s Hune., 6e< The Charlie Spinks, both of - Jo i peared at Monica IMrk, ~ to remain ™ . ED S laad ','*\ H . »51-S? turning to their homes for season. • At tHe Stamford bridge *iEngland, l«t season. Oaw* n , lock was a starter in ® l ßj' _ ;** rode on 18 occasion* firsts, two seconds, •#<* **. j»j, ,tt percentage of sucmss®* j*l the" Wembley Spe^rlSWt^m ter took part te U ' 42 rides. His list « |* firsts, 14 seconds, and » m"** centag* of <8.4.